More from Ryan!

“>When you look at everything you are in the mirror and point and tell yourself what you are, aren’t you at a loss for words.

“No.

“>You don’t see how you differ from a different person?

“Of course I do. That’s genetics.

“>You don’t see you’re fate?

“Nope. And neither do you.

“>You doubt that fate is real when you have dreams of what happened today.

“What do dreams have to do with fate?

“> You don’t think there is God sometimes but you are sure there’s a satan because you are aware of him everyday.

“I never said I was sure there’s a Satan. I stopped believing that hogwash when I was 7. I thought I told you. And I don’t think there’s a god all the time.

“>Do you think it is more likely that you just hate God rather than thinking he literally doesn’t exist?

“Nope. That’s like saying don’t I think it’s possible that I hate the Easter Bunny? The EB obviously doesn’t exist so I can’t hate it.

“>I look in the mirror and I don’t understand what I’m looking at because some energy force is moving a solid material making the solid move and think.

“That doesn’t make sense. You’ll have to explain that.

“>It is more than science that’s why when they make a clone or see twins, they don’t have the same moves, or make the same choices.

“It’s true that genetically identical beings aren’t the same beings, but that doesn’t mean it has anything to dow with a god. That’s assumption on your part. What if it has to do with the Flying Spaghetti Monster? Or Odin? Or Thor?

“>In God, I believe because inside all the stuff I once listened to I know it strangles my insides and makes me a conformist to the world.

“What do you mean by that and how does belief in a god make any difference to it?

“>If the world tells you, you’re wrong and you feel the world is, and things that have been predicted in the Bible come to pass now, that is when you start to put a commitment into what you do.

“What was predicted in the Bible that came to pass?

“>And peice together what life is. Then you start feel like you are doing what is meant for you. But my job is really done. In my Bible it says to not throw pearls to swine. If you won’t accept it I know it really is because God has not called you.

“How do you know that?

“>It is wrong to convince you of something you will never learn.

“Why is that wrong?

“>My ways are not of the church that tells you to talk tirelessly til you are blue in the face. I take from my text. Accept the rope cast down for you and pull hard on it.

“Again, I don’t understand why you think any of this is true. You said one thing, that the Bible predicted things that came true. But you didn’t say what prediction that was. Everything else you’ve said was either assumption or could easily be explained by means other than a god. What is this “rope” you are casting down?

“Or perhaps a better question would be, what convinced you to be born again? Was it simply the idea that the Bible predicted events that came true? If so, that must have been some pretty amazing prediction. If not, what else convinced you?

“I absolutely understand your point about talking to someone until you’re blue in the face, but I urge you to listen to my point that I have not yet heard any concrete evidence from you as to why you’re right and no one else is. Of course you don’t have to tell me, but I am curious.

“Happy holidays,”

At first, I wondered why is it really that Ryan became a born again? For a whole couple of seconds I was baffled. Then I remembered the obvious. It’s an emotional appeal. Most likely someone came to him and asked questions like “Are you ever depresed or unhappy? Do you want more out of life?” Those being pretty vague, universal questions, Ryan most like replied, “Yes. Yes I do.” Kind of like so-called mind readers when they ask questions like “Has somone lost someone close to them? Like a father? A grandfather? A brother?” Someone’s gonna answer because the likelihood is that, in a group, we’ve all lost someone close to us. So the likelihood is someone approached Ryan, asked him these inane questions and suckered him into a meeting. I saw this happen all the time in college. After a few songs and welcoming statements, the preacher probably told them all about Jesus and how he wants them to be happy etc. and the more they accept him into ther life the happier they’ll be. Or something like that. I’m sure Ryan was turned on by the group dynamic, the singing, the talking, the socializing. Of course he would be. He’s human. And, like a slow-drip poison, the first few drops don’t seem so bad, but before too long, you’re guzzling the Kool-Aid. No, not literally.

The other portion to this is much harsher. See, as much as I understand the above alleged motivations, the fact is that many of us have been through that kind of experience and not gotten suckered in. Why? Because we’re not dumb. Am I saying Ryan’s dumb?

Yes.

Sorry, man. You’re an idiot. Or at least the part of you who accepted this bullshit is. For, upon immediate examination, questions should fill your head. I’ll only give a couple. Why would a god create a version of itself to be sent down to Earth to preach, then be tortured and killed to atone for something that all people are guilty of just by virtue of being born? Why would this god pick a way of being tortured and killed that was commonplace at the time? Why the equation of 1 man = all sin? Why doesn’t this god simply forgive sin without the need for a sacrifice? And so on.

Beyond that, the questions should arise, why believe this and no other religious doctrine? Why believe any of it at all? The fact that Ryna clearly has bought this pile of bull with no real examination tells me that he at least lacks basic critical thinking and reasoning skills, but is also very likely plain stupid.

So there you are.

Now, this is not exactly to say that all religious, especially devout, are stupid. I’ve known many who, other than their religious convictions, are quite bright. So the only conclusion I can reach is that the part of their brain that responds to religion must be organizationally (and not physically) separate from the rest of their brains.